Sunday, 14 December 2014

No More Shark Fin Soup!

Shark Fin Soup

No More Shark Fin
Soup!

By Dr Gerry

I was talking to some Asian
visitors to the Andaman Resort’s Coral Nursery a few days ago. One gentleman
asked why the Jala Seafood Restaurant didn’t serve shark fin soup if they serve
other kinds of fish. “What’s the difference? Fish is fish!”

It was a good question and there
are two parts to the answer.

First, most of the shark fins are
cut off living animals in a process called ‘finning’ and then the live shark is
dumped overboard to struggle and eventually die on the ocean bottom. It is a
cruel practice carried out because shark boats prefer to fill up on the
expensive fins rather than the cheaper meat.

Killed Just for the Fins

Second, sharks are being
overfished and many species are now facing extinction. The current rate of landing
sharks is estimated to be about 30,000 per hour; 24 hours a day and seven days
a week. Sharks simply don’t reproduce fast enough or grow fast enough to
sustain the carnage.

Shark Fins

Sharks are at the top of the food
pyramid and regulate the numbers of much of the other seafood in the ocean as
well as the growth of corals on tropical reefs. The rapid deterioration of
Caribbean Reefs, even the loss of vast areas of beautiful coral, is directly
related to overfishing sharks.

In Asia the situation is much worse. Some 80% of
coral reefs are in trouble and most wild stock fisheries have been reduced by a
staggering 90%.

When the Jala Seafood Restaurant decided not to offer shark fin soup
it was a brave step for a 5 star dining venue in Asia. Jala’s sustainable seafood is seafood that is
either caught or farmed in ways that consider the long-term
vitality of harvested species and the well-being of the oceans. Sustainable
seafood was first promoted through the movement which began in the 1990s.

Incredibly, big things do grow
from small beginnings and now shark fin is off the menu in all Starwood Hotels,
one of the World’s largest hotel companies with some 1,500 properties. All the Shangri-la Hotels, the
Swiss-Belhotel chain, and Spain’s largest hotel chain, Melia, have followed
suit.

Shark After Fins Have Been Removed

Dozens of countries have banned shark finning from their
waters. A few have even banned fishing for sharks altogether, such as the
Bahamas, the Maldives, Brunei, Honduras, and Palau. In fact, a2011 studyin Palau found that sharks were worth far
more alive than dead due to tourism. According to the research, a single shark
during its life brings in $1.9 million in tourism revenue. Current fin prices
are only about $150 per kilo.

Our complements to Chef Rene and
the Starwood Hotels around the world who have made good decisions and are
helping to protect our little blue planet.

Chef Rene says, “Sometimes guests feel disappointed that some species
aren’t on the menu. But once they realize that we are only doing our part in
protecting the future of the ocean and its marine life they understand and
support our efforts.”

Thanks Caning. I'm afraid that telling people what they shouldn't do is counterproductive. Unfortunately, we must change the way we treat the ocean or we will commit our children to a very uncertain future.